The     Philippines’     export   sales   amounted to $4.660 billion in December 2015, a 3.0 percent decrease from $4.802 billion recorded value in December of 2014.  The negative growth was mainly brought about by the decreases in six major commodities out of the top ten commodities for the month.  These include articles of apparel and clothing accessories (-42.7%),   chemicals  (-39.2%), other  manufactures  (-23.8%), machinery and transport equipment (-17.0%), metal components (-16.5%),  and electronic equipment and parts (-5.3%).

Moreover, total merchandise   exports   for the year 2015 registered a 5.6 percent drop, that is from $62.102 billion in 2014 to $58.648 billion in 2015 (Table 1a).

EXPORTS OF ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INCREASES BY 6.4 PERCENT

Electronic Products remained as the country’s top export with total receipts of $2.529 billion, accounting for 54.3 percent of the total exports revenue in December 2015. It increased by 6.4 percent from $2.377 billion registered in December 2014.  Components/Devices    (Semiconductors),   although had the    biggest    share   of      36.5 percent among electronic products, decreased by 0.8 percent from $1.713 billion in December 2014 to $1.699 billion in December 2015

Machinery and Transport Equipment was the second top export earner in December 2015   with   export   revenue   of  $261.46 million.  However, export sales for this commodity group went down by 17.0 percent from $315.04 million in December 2014.

Other Manufactures ranked third, with 5.4 percent share to the total export receipts, posting at $251.99 million. It recorded a decrease of 23.8 percent from December 2014 value of $330.50 million.

Woodcrafts and Furniture  ranked  fourth, with a contribution of 5.4 percent share to the total export receipts, recording sales of $250.89 million in December 2015.  It   registered  a  24.1  percent increase from the previous year level of $202.16 million.

Ignition Wiring Set and Other Wiring Sets Used in  Vehicles, Aircrafts and Ships    was   recorded   as   the   country’s   fifth top export earner with value at $247.63 million or 5.3 percent share to total exports. It went up by 55.7 percent from $159.05 million in same period of 2014.

Rounding up the list of the top ten exports with corresponding export sales for the month of December 2015 were:

• Chemicals   with   $104.55 million, decelerated by 39.2 percent; 
• Metal Components   with  $90.20 million, dropped by 16.5 percent;
• Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories with   $88.97  million, decreased   by   42.7  percent;
• Copper Concentrates with $68.87 million, grew by 18.0 percent; and
• Electronic Equipment and Parts with $67.72 million, went down by 5.3 percent.

Total receipts from the top ten exports reached $3.961 billion, or 85.0 percent of the total exports and merely grew by 0.3 percent in 2015.

EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS WENT DOWN BY 1.8 PERCENT

Outward shipments of Manufactured Goods were valued at $4.111 billion, accounting   for 88.2 percent of the total export receipts in December 2015.  It went down by 1.8 percent from $4.185 billion recorded in December 2014 (Table 2). 

Exports from Total Agro-Based Products, with a 4.8 percent share to total exports    in    December   2015,   amounted   to   $224.61  million.   It   dropped   by 21.9 percent from $287.72 million in December 2014.

Mineral  Products  with a 4.4 percent  share, decreased by 4.3 percent from $212.54 million in December 2014 to $203.31 million in December 2015.

Merchandise exports from Special Transactions, sharing 1.8 percent of   the   total  exports revenue, increased by 16.0 percent to $85.60 million in December 2015 from $73.81 million in December 2014. 

Petroleum Products, with 0.7 percent share, rose by 11.9 percent to $33.714 million in December 2015 from $30.13 million in the same month in 2014.

Moreover, sales from Forest Products, accounting for 0.03 percent share of the total   exports,   decreased   by   87.6 percent from $12.78 million in December 2014 to $1.58 million reported value in same period of 2015.

JAPAN ACCOUNTS FOR 20.2 PERCENT TO TOTAL EXPORTS IN DECEMBER 2015

Total export receipts from the country’s top ten market destinations for the month of December 2015 was valued at $3.905 billion or 83.8 percent share of the total (Table 3).  See Figure 4.

Japan including Okinawa remained as the country’s top export destination with revenue amounting to $939.17 million, comprising 20.2 percent share to total exports for December 2015.  It decreased by 7.7 percent from $1.017 billion recorded in the same month a year ago.

United States of America (USA) including Alaska and Hawaii ranked second, accounting 15.0 percent to total exports, with export receipts valued at $697.33 million in December 2015. It recorded an increase of 3.0 percent from $677.05 million in same month last year.

Hong Kong ranked third with $574.85 million or 12.3 percent share of the total exports.  It grew by 17.3 percent from $489.91 million in the same month year ago.

People’s Republic of China with 9.1 percent share to total exports, ranked fourth   with   shipments   valued   at   $422.15 million.  It went down by 22.7 percent from $546.25 million in same month a year ago.

Singapore placed fifth, representing a 6.5 percent share to total exports, with export earnings worth $303.29 million.  It declined by 18.4 percent from $371.84 million posted in December 2014.

Other   top   ten  market destinations  for   December 2015 were: Germany, $302.83 million; Republic of Korea, $202.26 million;   Thailand, $179.89 million;  Taiwan, $171.78 million; and Malaysia, $111.75 million.

Majority of the country’s merchandise exports in December 2015 went to countries in East Asia,   accounting for 49.7 percent share to total exports valued at $2.316 billion.  It decreased by 7.3 percent from $2.498 billion of December 2014.        

Commodities exported to ASEAN member countries comprised 15.6 percent of the total exports in December 2015 and was valued at $725.90 million. This registered a negative growth of 0.9 percent from $732.42 million posted in same month a year ago.

Exports to European Union member countries, with 14.1 percent share to total merchandise exports amounted to $654.98 million.  It went up by 35.5 percent from $483.42 million recorded in December 2014 (Table 3a).

Technical Notes

Export trade statistics are compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from copies of export declarations filed with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) by exporters or their authorized representatives as required by law. PSA collects a copy of the accomplished form Export Declaration (ED – DTI form).  Aside from the hard copy of the ED, the output of the Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) is being utilized to generate export statistics. AEDS is a paperless transaction in lieu of the manual filling-up of export documents. The digitized copy of the AEDS is provided by BOC and PEZA to PSA on a monthly basis through email.

All documents (hard copies and e-files) received before the cut-off date which is every 25^th day of the month are compiled, processed and generated in a monthly statistical tables for the preparation of Press Release.  All documents received after the cut-off date, however, are processed and included in the generation of the revised statistical tables.  Processing includes coding, editing, review and validation.  Revised statistical tables are made available 10 to 15 working days after the press release date.

The Press Release is due every 10^th day of each month.  However, if the 10^th day falls on a Saturday, release will be on Friday but if it falls on a Sunday or Monday the release will be on Tuesday.  If the release date falls on holiday, the date of release is moved accordingly.

The 2004 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC) is used to classify the imported commodities at the most detailed level for statistical purposes.

Data request of international merchandise trade statistics are available at Philippine Statistics Authority, Economic Sector Statistics Service, Trade Statistics Division (Telephone Number: 376-19-75).

(Sgd.)  LISA GRACE S. BERSALES, Ph. D.

National Statistician